Tag Archives: Michelle Morlock

Swimmers Only Getting Faster at Burbank, Burroughs

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Swimming is a sport that hasn’t been the most successful since Olympian Cathy Ferguson made her mark locally in the 1960s. But strides have been made in recent years at both Burbank and Burroughs highs with several school records have been broken. This year we could see some more.

Burbank

The Bulldogs are led on the boys’ side by junior David Lee, the defending Pacific League champion in the 50 and 100-meter freestyle events.

Burbank has a solid core behind Lee. Senior Gevorg Vardanyan should offer help in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly.

Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Junior Ryan Feldman could also have a strong season in the 100 backstroke and 200 freestyle.

Senior Dorian Andrei, like Vardanyan, figures to do well in the butterfly and medley events.

Senior Charlie Thorpe should offer some support in the freestyle events and senior Ashot Gavurmadzhyan is strong in the breaststroke and butterfly events.

“The boys team is looking to remain in the top three in the Pacific League, while also securing automatic cuts for relays for the CIF meet,” Burbank coach Cody Parker said. “David Lee (is aiming) to remain the top sprinter in the league, while qualifying individually for CIF. The girls look to secure a spot in the top three in the Pacific League.”

The Burbank girls’ team is led by senior Michelle Morlock, who is a 50 and 100 meter freestyle specialist.

Senior Melody Moradi offers help in the freestyle events, as does senior Emily Udall, who will also compete in the butterfly.

Juniors Simone and Geneva Bethel are also freestyle specialists. Simone Bethel could also score some points in the breaststroke.

Burroughs

The Indians are led by junior distance swimmer Maya Wilson, who has qualified for CIF competition the last two years.

Senior Aleah Orozco also brings back key experience in the freestyle and relay events.
Junior Emmanuella Nathan returns to give the Indians another swimmer with varsity experience in the relay events.

Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Sophomores Madeline Spangler and Isabelle Mucha were both on varsity as freshmen.

The top newcomer is freshman Lilliana Noriega.

For the Burroughs boys’ team, senior Reigh Abaoag is the top returner. He is particularly strong in the butterfly and breaststroke events.

Seniors Issack Dowling, Nathan Gault-Crabb and Arshak Berberyan also figure to play key roles.

Sophomore Nicolai Lazarev is a distance swimmer with a bright future ahead.

 

Burroughs Girls Water Polo Ends Regular Season With 8-1 Win Against Burbank

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By Rick Assad

 

Under ideal weather conditions and a large crowd, the Burroughs High girls’ water polo team hosted city rival Burbank on Wednesday afternoon.

The Indians started off quickly, were not threatened in any real sense by the Bulldogs and after 28 minutes of action, Burroughs garnered an 8-1 Pacific League triumph.

As usual, the Indians, who own a four-match winning streak after falling to Crescenta Valley, 9-6, on Jan. 8, were led by senior Aleah Orozco, who delivered four goals and two assists, including three tallies at the intermission.

Burroughs seized command 2-0 after the opening quarter and were ahead 4-1 at the half.

Burroughs goalie Emmanuella Nathan had 11 saves in an 8-1 victory over rival Burbank. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“When I look back on water polo I think about my team,” said Orozco, who will not play water polo in college, but has applied to a half dozen universities including UCLA, UC Berkeley and Stanford. “We have a really good dynamic. We’ve been kind of unsure into the season, but as it’s progressed, we realize how strong we can become together. We have really high hopes.”

Up next for Burroughs will be the league playoffs followed by the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

The Indians (8-7 and 5-1 in league) then added three goals in the third period and tacked on a solo goal in the fourth frame.

“It wasn’t an easy game. They [Burbank] put up a good fight on defense,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said. “They put up a lot of good shots on Emma. I thought both teams played really well.”

The scoring began with 4:34 left in the initial frame when Orozco tossed in a point-blank shot past goalie Suzy Misiryan, who finished with 10 saves.

Orozco then unloaded a three-footer with 1:32 showing on an assist from Camila Panozo as the Indians moved ahead 2-0.

When Orozco let go an 18-footer with some help from Brianna Meneses and 6:19 left in the second quarter, Burroughs’ lead swelled to 3-0.

The Indians capped off their regular season at home against the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Bulldogs (6-14 and 2-4 in league) sliced the deficit to 3-1 when senior Michelle Morlock scored on a 12-footer that buzzed by goalie Emmanuella Nathan with 3:16 left in the opening half.

“We must have had at least 20, 25 shots, but we weren’t hitting them,” Burbank interim coach Zack Card said. “But it could have. It would have been a different game if we had more experience.”

Several of Burbank’s shots either hit the crossbar or the sidebars and others just missed going into the net by a mere foot.

Panozo’s 12-foot loft with a slick pass from Orozco and 19 seconds left gave the Indians a three-goal lead.

When Meneses scored from 14 feet with a handy assist from Jaelynn Bijasa and 4:33 showing in the third quarter, the advantage expanded to 5-1.

Panozo’s 12-foot tally on a long pass from Nathan made it a five-goal lead and 1:20 remaining in the third quarter.

An 18-foot goal from Bijasa and an assist from Orozco with 43 seconds left on the ticker made it 7-1.

Orozco had the only goal in the fourth quarter and it came with 2:17 remaining and was a 10-foot dart.

The Burroughs junior varsity girls’ water polo team is having an incredible season and is undefeated and should bolster next year’s varsity squad which will see 10 players graduating.

This past weekend, the Indians, who are 17-0 including a win over Burbank on Wednesday, captured the Alta Loma Tournament and had victories over Redondo Beach, Chino Hills, Arcadia, Notre Dame and Santiago in the championship match.

Burbank Girls Water Polo Starts Fast, Wins 11-9 Over Glendale

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By Rick Assad

 

Taking a few weeks off for Christmas vacation was both good and bad for the Burbank High girls’ water polo team.

It was a plus because several players were injured or sick which allowed them to heal and get well.

On the negative side, there could also be rust because of inactivity, but when the Bulldogs faced visiting Glendale on Tuesday afternoon, the team came out and scored five goals in the opening quarter en route to an 11-9 Pacific League win.

“I was nervous just because I knew last year we lost to them by a couple,” Burbank interim coach Zack Card said. “They came out really strong. A lot of our games we came out really beat. Not really focused. They were ball-watching.”

Sera Shahbazian scored three goals for Burbank in an 11-9 win over Glendale. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank (4-6 and 1-1 in league) never trailed and led by senior Michelle Morlock’s five goals, including two in the initial frame.

“It’s important that you keep playing your hardest,” Morlock said. “Everyone knew what they were supposed to do and they did it. And that’s important. You need to be where you’re supposed to be and work as hard as everyone else.”

Morlock’s shot from point-blank range with 6:49 left in the first quarter made it 1-0 and Morlock’s close-range bullet with 3:55 left in the same frame extended the advantage to 3-0.

Morlock’s three-footer with 2:14 remaining on the ticker in the second period gave the Bulldogs a 7-3 lead.

“That’s something we’ve been practicing,” Morlock said of the team’s shot selection. “Knowing where to shoot and when to shoot. It’s about everyone driving and moving and getting to where they need to be.”

Morlock’s tally with 2:52 on the clock in the third period saw the Bulldogs, who finished tied for fifth place in league last season and didn’t make the CIF Southern Section playoffs, march ahead 8-5.

Another close-range shot attempt by Morlock with 6:42 left in the contest pushed Burbank’s lead to 10-5.

Sera Shahbazian notched three goals for the Bulldogs, including two in the opening frame that made it 2-0 on a five-footer with 5:22 left and another from five feet with less than second left for a 5-2 margin.

Shahbazian’s six-footer with 5:40 on the ticker in the fourth quarter then pushed Burbank’s lead to 11-5.

Sophia Brice’s goal from eight feet with 59 seconds left in the first frame made it 4-1 and Brice’s tally on a six-foot loft with 2:13 remaining handed the Bulldogs a 9-5 edge.

Patil Minassian’s eight-footer with 5:48 left in the second period catapulted the Bulldogs in front 6-3.

Senior Emma Mueller finished with five goals for the Nitros (3-6 and 1-2 in league) and had three consecutive scores in the fourth quarter.

Mueller’s eight-footer with 3:39 left sliced Burbank’s lead to 11-6, a six-footer with 1:32 lowered it to 11-7 and a five-footer with 50 seconds cut it to 11-8.

“In terms of development, I feel like our six on fives are definitely getting better,” Glendale coach Jazzmyne Urquiza said. “What we tend to do as a team is that we’re a second-half team. We do not play well in the first half and then we come back in the second half and sometimes it’s just not enough.”

Junior Bernica Doronila tacked on two goals for the Nitros and they came with 6:16 left in the second quarter, a five-footer that cut it to 5-3, and a tally with 29 seconds left the fourth quarter that drew Glendale to within 11-9.

Junior Jamie Fritz also chipped in with two goals and were knocked home in the first quarter on a 10-footer with 3:24 left that shaved Burbank’s edge to 3-1 and in the third period on a point-blank shot with 5:27 left as the Nitros came within 7-4.

Burbank’s Suzy Misiryan was the goaltender for three quarters and replaced by Jenny Stepanian in the fourth period.

Burroughs, Burbank Girls Water Polo Eye CIF Playoffs

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By Rick Assad

 

Sometimes goals are realized and sometimes they’re not. In the case of the Burroughs High and Burbank girls’ water polo teams, their objective is fairly simple and it’s to qualify for the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

Each team is fairly young, and both have skilled players, so reaching the postseason is a reality. The Bulldogs and Indians will meet on Jan. 23 at Burroughs.

Junior goalie Emmanuella Nathan will be a key for Burroughs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Indians, who were 12-6 last season and 6-2 in the Pacific League for second place, will be led offensively by senior Aleah Orozco and junior goalie Emanuella Nathan.

Coach Jacob Cook is very optimistic about the team after reaching the quarterfinals a season ago.

“I’m looking forward to growing the team and improving as much as possible over the season,” Cook said. “The team is young in experience, but they are hard workers and eager to improve. I don’t know how the rest of the league is looking, but we are looking to progress as far as we can.”

Burbank has six quality players who can score at any moment. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The team consists of 15 players including 11 seniors and they are Amy Berberyan, Leann Bermudez, Samantha Leano, Megan Sawyer, Brianna Meneses, Bianey Mendoza, Jaelynn Bijasa, Kathryn Vlick, Isabel Rosado and Camila Panozo.

There are four juniors on the squad and they include Madeline Lingad, Chloe Caneday and Mallory Thomas.

The Indians have played a few matches including a 5-4 win over Clairemont of San Diego in which Orozco had a match-best four goals and Berberyan the game-winner, while Nathan finished with 24 saves.

The Bulldogs, who were 7-13 last season, are also quite tender, but eager to learn and are getting better with time, according to interim coach Zack Card, who is filling in for Allyson Young, who gave birth to a bouncing baby girl a few months ago.

The Indians are coming off a season in which they went to the CIF Southern Section playoffs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

There are 11 players on the team, with six players standing out according to Card.

There are three seniors and they are Patil Minassian, Camila Salas and Michelle Morlock.

“Patil is a very experienced player,” Card said. “She’s a four-year player. Incredible leadership in and out of the pool. A strong two-meter defender and a strong ball handler.”

Card spoke about Salas in glowing terms.

“She’s another four-year athlete. A strong swimmer and great on the counter attack,” Card noted.

The Bulldogs are gunning to finish high in the Pacific League. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Card then addressed Morlock.

“She’s an incredibly gifted athlete,” he pointed out. “A strong swimmer. Her mental awareness. Her water polo IQ. It’s a gift, really. She never gives up and never makes any excuses.”

The other three standout performers are juniors, Sophia Brice, Michelle Morozian and Sera Shahbazian.

Card also praised Brice. “Sophia is a strong counter-attack player with strong fundamentals,” he said.

Card also likes Shahbazian. “She’s just relentless on defense. Always working away from the ball, helping her teammates,” he said.

Card spoke about Morozian and what she brings to the table. “Her ability to play defense is incredible,” he said.

The rest of the squad consists of juniors Angie Chavez, Grace Tomasek, Anasheh Abedian, Gabby Aghajanyan and Ashley Karazi.

Burbank Girls Water Polo Struggles Against Marymount, Loses 10-4

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By Rick Assad

 

A severe and early deficit faced the Burbank High girls’ water polo team on Monday afternoon at the Burroughs swimming pool.

Like a dragster taking off and then racing down the runway, the Sailors seized control in the first quarter, added to the lead in the second frame and took home a 10-4 decision in a nonleague match.

“That’s something we’re trying to work on this year, is coming out with intensity every quarter,” Marymount coach Nicholas Amstutz said. “We have four mini-games, so we have a fresh start.”

The Bulldogs couldn’t keep up with the Sailors and fell 10-4 in a nonleague match. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Toni Ashby paced Marymount offensively with four goals including three goals in the second period as the Sailors pulled ahead 9-0 at halftime.

Lizzy Reilly had three scores for the Sailors (3-1), knocking in two goals in the second frame.

“We only have three seniors on this team,” Amstutz said of his young squad that led 3-0 after the first quarter. “We have a lot of young talent. We like the three leaders for sure. The three seniors we have are our captains. They’ve been stepping up a lot.”

The Bulldogs (1-1) weren’t about to throw in the towel and rallied for three goals in the third quarter to slice the lead to 9-3.

Burbank struggled in the first half, but came on strong in the second half against Marymount. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Sera Shahbazian’s tally from eight feet and 3:41 on the clock reduced the deficit to 9-1.

When Michelle Morlock knocked home a winner from close range and 2:13 left on the ticker, Burbank came within 9-2.

It became 9-3 with 1:05 left on the buzzer on Sophia Brice’s five-foot tally.

Shahbazian’s five-footer with 42 seconds remaining in the match trimmed Marymount’s lead to 10-4.

Ashby’s blast from eight feet and 1:13 remaining on the clock in the opening quarter made it 3-0 in favor of Marymount.

When Ashby located the back of the net from 10 feet and 4:26 showing in the second frame, the Sailors glided ahead 7-0 and with 3:20 on the buzzer, Ashby’s 15-footer made it 8-0.

An eight-footer by Ashby with 1:42 showing in the second period supplied the Sailors with a 9-0 advantage.

Reilly’s six-footer with 6:17 on the clock in the second stanza handed Marymount a 5-0 cushion and an eight-footer by Reilly with 5:32 left before the intermission pushed the advantage to 6-0.

After Reilly’s point-blank shot with 3:43 left on the clock in the contest, the Sailors scooted ahead 10-3.

Burbank, Burroughs Swim Teams Fare Well In Pacific League Finals

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By Rick Assad

 

Under favorable weather conditions, the Pacific League swimming finals was held at Burbank High on Thursday and the team standings and individual races went essentially according to form.

Two league records fell as Burroughs sophomore Maya Wilson placed first in the 200 yard freestyle after coming in at 1.51.73.

The old mark was held by Crescenta Valley’s Heather MacDougal, who swam 1.51.76 in 2013.

The other record smashed was by Crescenta Valley freshman Amanda Petersen, who won the 100 breaststroke (1.05.16), breaking MacDougal’s 1.05.23 in 2013.

Petersen was a double winner after also taking the 200 individual medley (2.08.45).

Wilson placed first in the 500 freestyle (4.59.15) and was part of a foursome that took fourth in the 400 freestyle relay (4.03.62) that included senior Marlena Skrabak, senior Bianca Sanchez and junior Aleah Orozco.

Burroughs sophomore Maya Wilson placed first twice and set a Pacific League record in the 200 yard freestyle at 1.51.73. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Wilson was on the team that garnered fourth in the 200 medley relay (2.06.71) that included senior Annabelle Morning, Skrabak and sophomore Emmanuella Nathan.

“I went in trying to have no expectations,” Wilson said of her day in the pool. “I was just trying to improve, whether it was my times or my mindset. After I finished, it was a moment of relief.”

Wilson then added: “Working in practice every day. Seeing if I can improve every day. I try to stay in the moment and focus on the now,” she noted. “I focus on how I can improve my race. I’m focusing on CIF and see what I can do. I’m pushing myself to new limits in all my practices or trying to.”

Burbank sophomore David Lee also had a day to remember and was another double winner after taking first place in the 50 freestyle (23.05) and the 100 freestyle (50.17).

“I felt all sorts of emotion and excitement,” Lee said. “I think about the long run. How fast I want to get two years from now and how do I have to train every single day to get to achieve that process. Get to that level. I try to train as hard as I can every single day to get to that level. One hundred perfect effort.”

Lee was a member that included senior Isaac Yang, junior Dorian Andrei and sophomore Ryan Feldman that garnered third place in the 400 freestyle relay (3.28.66) and part of a squad that included freshman Arsen Rostomyan, junior Gevorg Vardanyan and Yang that grabbed fourth place in the 200 freestyle relay (1.36.19).

Burbank sophomore David Lee (second from right) won the 50 and 100 yard freestyle. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

As far as team standings, the Burroughs girls’ varsity placed third with 196 points while Burbank was fifth (173 points).

The Burbank boys’ varsity took third (248 points) while Burroughs was sixth (157 points).

“We had mostly all best times today,” Burbank coach Cody Parker said of his teams. “Obviously we had David Lee win two individual events and the boys’ 200 individual medley got consideration. So there’s a lot to be proud of as a team.”

Burroughs coach Jacob Cook was pleased with Wilson. “Maya is very impressive,” he noted. “Maya did some incredible stuff. She puts in the work. Her talent is just insane. She’s special. I just told her before the race, to go for it.”

Cook spoke about his teams. “There’s a lot of PR’s today,” he said. “A win for me is not just scores, but it’s to beat individual times.”

The Crescenta Valley girls’ varsity took first with 558 points, Arcadia grabbed second (474), Pasadena was fourth (178), Hoover sixth (153) and Glendale nabbed seventh (139).

In the boys’ varsity, Crescenta Valley was first (571), Arcadia took second (420.5), Hoover was fourth (165.5), Glendale placed fifth (161) and Pasadena took seventh (110).

That’s perfect form in the butterfly. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Other strong outings included Burroughs’ junior Reigh Abaoag taking second place in the 100 yard butterfly (52.89) and third in the 100 yard breaststroke (1.01.31).

The Burbank foursome of junior Michelle Morlock, sophomore Simone Bethel, junior Emily Udall and senior Angelica Perez took third in the 200 medley relay (2.04.86).

Udall also placed third in the 500 freestyle (5.46.97), sixth in the 100 butterfly (1.04.99) and was part of a foursome that included sophomore Simone Bethel, sophomore Geneva Bethel and Morlock that finished sixth in the 400 freestyle relay (4.12.83).

In the boys’ 200 medley relay, the team of Rostomyan, Feldman, Andrei and Vardanyan finished third (1.45.87).

Other solid placings included the Burroughs team of junior Isaack Dowling, Abaoag, junior Arshak Berberyan and junior Nathan Gault-Crabb that grabbed fifth in the 200 medley relay (1.50.39).

It takes skill, training and determination to succeed as Burbank and Burroughs demonstrated at the Pacific League Finals. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Burroughs freshman Madeline Spangler was seventh in the 200 freestyle (2.15.16) and Burroughs freshman Isabelle Mucha was 10th in the same race (2.19.35).

Feldman finished in fourth place in the 200 freestyle (1.49.82) and sixth in the 100 breaststroke (1.05.12).

Morlock was fourth in the 100 freestyle (59.02) and ninth in the 50 freestyle (27.05).

Gault-Crabb was eighth in the 50 freestyle (24.14), while Andrei was eighth in the 100 butterfly (58.08) and eighth in the 100 freestyle (52.88).

Here’s a Burroughs swimmer giving it her all. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Burroughs freshman Nicolai Lazarev nabbed eighth place in the 500 freestyle (5.34.48).

The Burbank team of sophomore Geneva Bethel, Simone Bethel, sophomore Grace Tomasek and sophomore Angelina Chavez finished sixth in the 200 freestyle relay (1.57.59).

Dowling, sophomore Arthur Eldridge, senior Scott Sauve and senior Daniel Marinero took seventh place in the 400 freestyle relay (3.46.92).

Burbank Boys, Burroughs Girls Win in Rivalry Dual Meet in Pool

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The Burbank High boys’ swim team and the Burroughs High girls’ swim team earned victories Wednesday afternoon when the two rivals squared off in the final dual meet of the Pacific League season at Burbank.

Burroughs won the girls’ varsity competition by a score of 86-75. Burbank took the boys’ competition by a score of 85-60.

David Lee competes in the 100 Freestyle. (Photo by Ross A Benson)

David Lee earned a pair of individual victories for the Burbank boys’ team by winning the 50 and 100 freestyle events.

Ryan Feldman was also impressive for the Bulldogs in taking the 200 freestyle and taking second in the 100 breaststroke.

Burroughs boys’ team was led by Reigh Abaoag, who won the 100 butterfly and the 100 breaststroke.

Nicolai Lazarev also had some solid performances for the Indians, winning the 500 free and finishing second in the 200 free.

Maya Wilson competes in the 100 yd Butterfly. (Photo By Edward Tovmassian)

Maya Wilson led the Burroughs girls’ team. Traditionally a distance swimmer, she won the 50 free and the 100 butterfly.

Burbank was led by Michelle Morlock, who won the 100 free and took second in the 50 free.

See below for varsity results.

 

Burroughs at Burbank swimming April 25, 2018
Boys Varsity Results
EventPlaceNameTime
200 medley relay
1Burbank (Arsen Rostomyan, Ryan Feldman, Dorian Andrei, Gevorg Vardanyan)01:49.7
2Burroughs (Isaack Dowling, Reigh Aboang, Arshak Berberyan., Nathan Gault-Crabb
3Burbank (Henry Margaryan, Ford Roll, Daniel Semizyan, Andy Alvarez)
4Burroughs (Jehu Morning, Scott Sauve, Aaron Meza, John Paul De Fabry)
200 Freestyle1Ryan Feldman (B)01:55.0
2Nicolai Lazarev (JB)
3Scott Sauve (JB)
4Isaac Yang (B)
5Daniel Semizyan (B)
200 Individual Medley1Henry Margaryan (B)02:16.3
2Daniel Marinero (JB)
3Gevorg Vardanyan(B)
50 Freestyle1David Lee (B)22.7
2Nathan Gault-Crabb (JB)
3Orbel Barooni (B)
4Andy Alvarez (B)
5Arthur Eldridge (JB)
6Daniel Marinero (JB)
100 Butterfly1Reigh Abaoag (JB)53.15
2Dorian Andrei (B)
3Gevorg Vardanyan(B)
4Arshak Berberyan (JB)
5Orbel Barooni (B)
100 Freestyle1David Lee (B)53.21
2Arsen Rostomyan(B)
3Videsh Shrestha (B)
4Arthur Eldridge (JB)
5Aaaron Meza (JB)
6Matthew Mucha (JB)
500 Freestyle1Nicolai Lazarev (JB)05:40.5
200 Freestyle Relay1Burbank (Orbel Barooni, David Lee, Gevorg Vardanyan, Isaac Yang)01:40.1
2Burroughs (Nathan Gault-Crabb, Issack Dowling, Arthur Eldridge, Daniel Marinero)
3Burbank (Aleko Brice, Andy Alvarez, Videsh Shrestha, Ford Roll)
4Burroughs (Arshak Berberyan, Nicolai Lazarev, Scott Sauve, John Paul De Fabry)
5Burroughs (Aaron Meza, Max Zekowski, Matthew Mucha, Jehu Morning)
100 Backstroke1Arsen Rostomyan(B)01:03.8
2Isaack Dowling (JB)
3Jehu Morning (JB)
4Henry Margaryan (B)
5Aleko Brice (B)
100 Breaststroke1Reigh Abaoag (JB)01:02.2
2Ryan Feldman (B)
3Ford Roll (B)
4Videsh Shrestha (B)
400 Freestyle Relay1Burbank (Arsen Rostomyan, Ryan Feldman, Dorian Andrei, David Lee)03:33.5
2Burroughs (Reigh Abaoag, Issack Dowling, Scott Sauve, Nathan Crabb-Gault)
3Burroughs (Nicolai Lazarev, Arthur Eldridge, Arshak Berberyan, John Paul De Fabry)
4Burbank (Isaac Yang, Daniel Semizyan, Videsh Shrestha, Henry Margaryan)
5Burroughs (Aaron Meza, Max Zekowski, Matthew Mucha, Jehu Morning)
Girls Varsity Results
EventPlaceNameTime
200 Medley Relay1Burbank (Michelle Morlock, Simone Bethel, Emily Udall, Angelica Perez)02:05.6
2Burroughs (Madeline Lingad, Amabelle Morning, Maya Wilson, Bianca Sanchez)
3Burroughs (Isabel Canelo, Jaelynn Bijasa, Mia Fallon, Lily Marsh)
4Burroughs (Leann Bermudez, Amy Berberyan, Isabella Mucha, Katie Vlick)
5Burbank (Melody Moradi, Stephanie Harkness, Sharlene Nazari, Angelica Chavez)
200 Freestyle1Maddie Spangler (JB)02:16.9
2Mia Fallon (JB)
3Geneva Bethel (B)
4Isabella Mucha (JB)
5Ilona Oganesian (B)
200 Individual Medley1Emily Udall (B)02:34.2
2Bianca Sanchez (JB)
3Jaelynn Bijasa (JB)
4Sharlene Nazari (B)
50 Freestyle1Maya Wilson (JB)25.44
2Michelle Morlock (B)
3Emmanuella Nathan (JB)
4Angelica Perez (B)
5Marlena Skrabak (JB)
100 Butterfly1Maya Wilson (JB)59.52
2Emily Udall (B)
3Stephanie Harkness (B)
4Sharlene Nazari (B)
100 Freestyle1Michelle Morlock (B)01:00.6
2Maddie Spangler (JB)
3Angelica Chavez (B)
4Lily Marsh (JB)
5Isabel Oporta (JB)
6Simone Bethel (B)
500 Freestyle1Mia Fallon (JB)06:13.5
2Geneva Bethel (B)
3Angelica Perez (B)
200 Freestyle Relay1Burroughs (Maya Wilson, Bianca Sanchez, Marlena Skrabak, Emmanuella Nathan)01:51.1
2Burroughs (Maddie Spangler, Jaelynn Bijasa, Isabel Oporta, Brianna Meneses)
3Burbank (Geneva Bethel, Simone Bethel, Ilona Oganesian, Sharlene Nazari)
100 Backstroke1Isabel Canelo (JB)01:15.1
2Melody Moradi (B)
3Angelina Chavez (B)
100 Breaststroke1Simone Bethel (B)01:32.7
2Amabelle Morning (JB)
3Isabella Mucha (JB)
4Amy Berberyan (JB)
5Stephanie Harkness (B)
400 Freestyle Relay1Burbank (Emily Udall, Michelle Morlock, Angelica Perez, Geneva Bethel)04:54.3
2Burroughs (Isabella Mucha, Mia Fallon, Bianca Sanchez, Marlene Skrabak)
3Burroughs (Isabel Oporta, Amy Berberyan, Lily Marsh, Maddie Spangler)
4Burbank (Angelina Chavez, Stephanie Harkness, Melody Moradi, Ilona Oganesian)
5Burroughs (Leann Bermudez, Katie Vlick, Fatima Serrano, Sedona Puglisi)

Burbank, Burroughs Swimming Hoping to Stay Strong

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The Burbank and Burroughs High swimming teams are coming off of a solid year and are hoping to maintain that strength into the 2018 season, even though some key swimmers have graduated. Burbank, which set several relay records last season on the boys’ side, will now will led by some distance swimmers. Burroughs will be led by sophomore Maya Wilson, who set a number of school records last year.

Burbank

The Bulldogs lost star Roman Rostamyan to graduation and will be guided by first-year coach Cody Parker.  This year the Bulldogs will have junior freestyler Charlie Thorpe and senior freestyler Isaac Yang. Junior Dorian Andrei is solid in the 200 individual medley and is particularly strong in the butterfly. Sophomore David Lee will be counted on to score points in the sprint events. Sophomore Ryan Feldman is also solid in the individual medley and will also swim the backstroke and breaststroke events.

For the Burbank girls’ team, junior Emily Udall will be a key performer in the distance events as well as the butterfly. Junior Michelle Morlock is a sprinter, who will also be key on relays. Sophomore Angelina Chavez will also be counted on in the sprint and relay events, as will sophomores Simone and Geneva Bethel. Both Simone and Geneva Bethel swim the freestyle events.

Burroughs

The Indians are led by sophomore Maya Wilson, who is a distance swimmer and should return to CIF competition in the 500 freestyle.  She will also swim in other freestyle events.

The Indians also have returning senior captains Marlena Skrabak, Amabelle Morning and Mia Fallon.

Skrabak is a 50 freestyle specialist, Morning is strongest in the breaststroke and Fallon can be counted on to score points in the 200 and 500 freestyles.

For the Indians boys’ team, junior Reigh Aboang should lead the way. He is solid in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke. Junior Issack Dowling is another key swimmer who is a backstroke specialist. Junior captain Nathan Gault-Crabb will be able to help the Indians out in a number of areas.

“(I’m) looking forward to seeing what our returning varsity swimmers can do after last season,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said. “We have a lot of talent returning, which is exciting. We also have a lot of new swimmers that I am excited to work with and to help achieve their goals.”

Burroughs Girls Water Polo Fends Off Stubborn Burbank 12-5

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By Rick Assad

 

A better and more efficient start would have been preferred by the Burroughs High girls’ water polo team when it faced host Burbank.

With 5:40 left in the second quarter of Tuesday’s Pacific League match, it was tied after the Bulldogs scored, but the Indians then rattled off four consecutive tallies that included an 8-1 run and collected a 12-5 victory.

“We made some adjustments here and there,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said. “We shut them down from there. It was a good game overall today.”

Burroughs (6-4 and 2-1 in league) held Burbank (4-7 and 0-3 in league) to one goal in the third quarter and none in the fourth period.

Burbank, shown warming up in a recent match, played visiting Burroughs tough early, but fell 12-5. (Photo by Rick Assad)

With 4:10 on the clock in the second period, Burroughs senior utility Gwendolyn Turla scored on an eight-footer that made it 5-4 and with 3:29 remaining the lead swelled to 6-4 on a goal by junior utility Aleah Orozco from close range.

“I think we came in a little bit, maybe overconfident,” Orozco said, “and then we came to the realization that Burbank is a tough team and we need to get it together in order to play against our rival school and I think once that happened and we got in the right mental state, then things started to go our way.”

Orozco said she noticed early that the Bulldogs were aggressive. “I feel like in any type of sport, once it becomes more intense, you try to be more aggressive and they became a lot more aggressive,” she noted, “but we became back equally aggressive.”

The Indians’ lead became 7-4 when Turla scored on a five-footer and with nine seconds left before halftime, a 25-foot floater from senior attacker Cameron Flores pushed the margin to 8-4.

Gwendolyn Turla, with the ball, scored a match-best five goals for the Indians in a Pacific League win over the host Bulldogs. (Photo by © Ross A. Benson)

A goal from 10 feet by Burbank senior utility Lexi Lyneis evened it at 4-4 in the second quarter.

Lyneis collected her initial goal with 1:59 left in the first quarter on a 20-footer that tied it at 3-3.

“We just made a few mistakes that they capitalized on,” Burbank coach Allyson Young said. “We were making mistakes and too close together and they were making the steals.”

It took a while before a goal was scored in the third quarter as Turla found the back of the net on an eight-foot penalty shot that made it 9-4 as 3:19 remained.

With 1:15 left in the same frame it became 10-4 on a five-footer by senior setter Bianca Sanchez, but Burbank, which committed 19 turnovers, sliced it to 10-5 on senior driver Sune Aghakian’s 10-footer with 1:01 left.

In the fourth period it was all Burroughs which pulled ahead 11-5 with 3:52 left on a tally from three-feet by junior attacker Samantha Leano.

Thirty-eight seconds later a goal from five-feet by Sanchez shoved the Indians ahead 12-5.

The Bulldogs marched in front 1-0 on junior utility Patil Minassian’s three-footer with 5:58 showing, but twenty seconds later it was deadlocked at 1-1 on Turla’s 10-footer.

Sanchez’s short-range rocket with 4:56 left made it 2-1, however, the Bulldogs evened it at 2-2 on junior driver Michelle Morlock’s point-blank bullet and 4:06 on the clock.

Turla’s nine-footer with 2:12 left gave the Indians a 3-2 edge and Sanchez’s eight-footer with 1:05 on the ticker capped the period as the Indians led 4-3 heading into the second period.

Burbank junior goalie Suzie Misiryan and Burroughs’ junior goalie Isabella Erickson and sophomore net keeper Emmanuella Nathan all played well.

Burbank Girls Water Polo Loses 13-7 To Pasadena

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By Rick Assad

 

Similar overall records promised a fairly close and competitive Pacific League girls’ water polo match on Tuesday when Burbank High hosted Pasadena.

Despite failing to score in the first quarter, Burbank rallied in the third period and came within three goals late in the frame, and one goal early in the fourth period, but ultimately fell 13-7 in the league opener.

Burbank Coach Allyson Young likes how her team played in the third quarter. (Photo by Rick Assad)

Three players scored for Burbank (4-5 and 0-1 in league) with senior utility Lexi Lyneis and senior driver Sune Aghakian each knocking in three goals and junior driver Michelle Morlock adding one.

“If we would have had a better start and worked together and not put so much pressure on each other, would have made safer passes and protected the ball, it would have been a lot closer in the beginning,” Burbank coach Allyson Young said.

Young then added: “The third quarter they played great, but then the fourth quarter they all fell apart again. So what we need to do is expand that third quarter to all of our quarters,” she said.

Burbank outscored Pasadena 4-2 in the third quarter and a tally from 10 feet by Lyneis and 2:51 left cut Pasadena’s edge to 9-4.

A 15-foot blast by Lyneis with 2:04 remaining shaved it to 9-5 and her five-footer with 1:09 on the clock made it 9-6.

Morlock’s eight-foot dart with 6:11 left in the fourth quarter shaved Pasadena’s lead to 9-7.

Aghakian’s strike from five feet with 2:27 on the ticker in the second quarter sliced Pasadena’s advantage to 5-1 and Aghakian’s 15-footer with 11 seconds left before halftime saw Burbank move within 7-2.

Young liked what she saw in the third quarter and wants to see more of it. “They were communicating,” she said. “They were swimming down and driving. They were working together. They were playing as a team rather than a bunch of individuals.”

The Burbank girls’ water polo team warming up before Tuesday’s match with Pasadena. (Photo by Rick Assad)

Pasadena (4-6 and 1-0 in league) was led by senior Fernanda Alvarez with a match-best five goals, including two tallies in the first and second quarter.

Senior Shannon Brierty added three goals for the visitors, who led 3-0 after the first frame and 7-2 at the intermission.

“We did come out quick. We knew we had some fast swimmers that could do counter attack,” Pasadena coach Sean Phillips said. “Be pretty dangerous as far as offense goes. So we knew we’d get quick goals in the beginning, at least have the possibility.”

Phillips went on: “In the first half, I was really pleased with our girls. Pretty tenacious. But you got to hand it to Burbank for their resiliency. They had that comeback. It made me really nervous in the third quarter, especially.”

Pasadena scored two goals in the third frame with Brierty knocking one home from five-feet with 6:24 left that made it 8-2 and sophomore Nicole Wallius from five feet with 5:43 left for a 9-2 edge.

Pasadena pulled ahead 1-0 on senior Calypso Brenard’s goal from 10 feet and 5:01 left.

Alvarez scored back-to-back tallies including one with 1:30 left on a 10-foot backhander and a three-footer with 1:02 remaining that made it 3-0.

Pasadena increased its advantage to 5-0 in the second quarter on a 10-foot goal from senior Sara Winsky with 4:40 left and a 10-footer with 3:22 showing from Brierty.

Alvarez scored with 2:06 left from three-feet that made it 6-1 and then added another three-footer with 1:34 showing for a 7-1 edge.

Pasadena ended the fourth quarter by scoring four straight goals that included a tally from Brenard from six feet with 5:19 left that made it 10-7, Wallius locating the back of the net from five feet at 4:59 for a 11-7 cushion, Brierty drilling one from three feet and 3:19 left for a 12-7 margin and Alvarez’s bullet from five feet with 1:58 left for a 13-7 lead.